<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Worse Than Nicotine by orphan_account</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23985754">Worse Than Nicotine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cat Hybrid Minho, Hybrids, M/M, Wolf Hybrid Chan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:07:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,632</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23985754</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Life at the clinic was crazy, and was only getting crazier as the months went on. Demand for hybrids was somehow rising and falling at the same time, making Jisung's job as a nurse even more stressful than it already was. The majority of their patients were surrenders--hybrids that people decided they no longer wanted, mainly due to irresponsibility and negligence...and then there was Minho, an abandoned cat hybrid with a bad attitude that Jisung just couldn't seem to get enough of.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bang Chan/Kim Woojin, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>93</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was early winter and the sun had just started to set when Jisung stepped outside for a moment, desperately needing a breath of fresh air. Life at the clinic was crazy, and was only getting crazier as the months went on. Demand for hybrids was somehow rising and falling at the same time, making his job as a nurse even more stressful than it already was. The majority of their patients were surrenders--hybrids that people decided they no longer wanted, mainly due to irresponsibility and negligence. Having a hybrid wasn't the same as having a pet, and it broke Jisung's heart to see so many of them being given up and abandoned in favor of something a little more...manageable. It wasn't often he lost his composure, but with the number of abuse cases they seemed to be getting over the last few weeks, his mental state could only take so much before eventually reaching its' breaking point.</p>
<p>"I need a new job," Jisung sighs, his breath rising in puffs as it comes into contact with the cold air. "I don't get paid enough to deal wi--"</p>
<p>A soft whimpering noise makes Jisung stop mid-sentence, and he cranes his neck toward where he thought it was coming from.</p>
<p>"Hello?" he says aloud. "Is someone there?"</p>
<p>To his surprise, he's met with another whimper, this time a little louder than the first.</p>
<p>"Stay where you are. I'll come to you." Jisung hops down from the three-step porch attached to the side door of the clinic, his shoes crunching as they break through the untouched snow. "Are you okay? Do you need help?"</p>
<p>The whimpering noise gets closer and closer as Jisung wades through the snow, and he practically breaks into a sprint when he turns the corner. He wasn't really sure what he was expecting to find, but a cat hybrid locked inside of a cage was <em>not</em> it.</p>
<p>"Oh my god, are you okay?!" he shouts. He reaches for the lock and pulls on it a few times before realizing that it was no use. He needed to break it open somehow, and he needed to do it fast. "I'll be right back! I need something to get this lock off. I'll come back for you, I swear!"</p>
<p>Jisung runs back to the clinic as fast as he can and begins shouting before he even has the door open.</p>
<p>"I need help! There's a cat hybrid locked in a cage outside and I don't think he's gonna make it much longer! It's been snowing all day!"</p>
<p>The staff begins to panic as they look around for something that could be used to break the lock, and Jisung sighs in relief when Seungmin, another nurse, hands him a pair of bolt cutters.</p>
<p>"Where did you--"</p>
<p>"Don't ask questions!" Seungmin yells. He points toward the still open door and shoves Jisung toward it in an effort to get him moving again. "We have to go. Show me where he is."</p>
<p>Jisung doesn't say anything as he sprints back outside with Seungmin trailing not far behind. He drops to his knees as soon as he reaches the cage and fumbles with the bolt cutters, unable to get his hands to stop shaking.</p>
<p>"Help me! My hands are shaking and I can't get a grip on the lock." He hands the cutters over to Seungmin and gets a good look at the hybrid for the very first time, tears welling up in his eyes when he realizes what terrible condition he's in. He wore a thin, gray long sleeved shirt and black cargo pants with holes in the knees, and his light brown hair was greasy and matted. "You're safe now. We're gonna get you out of there, okay? We'll get you out and get you the care you need."</p>
<p>The hybrid's eyes are wide with fear as he presses himself as far back against the cage as he can. Humans were the reason he was in this situation, and he didn't understand why these men were trying so hard to help him. Humans were mean and nasty, and surely these ones were no different.</p>
<p>"Leave me alone," he whispers, wishing he could somehow phase through the bars of the cage and run. "I'd rather die than to be put into the care of another human."</p>
<p>Seungmin sets the bolt cutters onto the ground as the lock falls from the cage, making a loud metallic sound when it sinks through the snow and hits the pavement.</p>
<p>"We're not gonna hurt you," Jisung says softly. "We just want to help. It's below freezing out here and you're not gonna survive like this."</p>
<p>"I don't want to survive," the hybrid replies. He pulls his knees into his chest and buries his face into his arms, emitting a low, almost growling sound from his throat as he begins to cry. "I don't want to be here anymore."</p>
<p>"You didn't deserve whatever they did to you," Seungmin tries to reassure, his voice just as soft as Jisung's. "We're nurses and our clinic is right over there. We'll take care of you if you'd let us bring you inside."</p>
<p>The hybrid shakes his head and presses himself against the back of the cage even further, and Jisung notices his breathing get heavy as he starts to wince.</p>
<p>"Let us help you," he pleads. "We' won't let anyth--<em>oh my god</em>! Go get Dr. Kim and bring a gurney with you. Hurry, he's losing consciousness!"</p>
<p>Seungmin bolts up from the ground and runs as fast as he can back into the clinic, leaving Jisung on his own with the hybrid.</p>
<p>"We're gonna fix you right up, okay?" Jisung does his best to stay calm despite the fact that his heart is racing a million miles a minute. "Seungmin and the doctor are coming with a gurney so we can get you inside. Stay with me. It's too cold out here and you might not regain consciousness if you fall asleep."</p>
<p>"I...don't wanna...b...e conscious," the hybrid says slowly. Jisung places a hand underneath his chin to prevent his head from bobbing forward, and the hybrid uses what feels like the last of his strength to push him away. "Don't touch me."</p>
<p>"Normally, I would never do anything without a patient's consent, but I'm not about to let you <em>die</em> when we can do something to save you."</p>
<p>Seungmin and Dr. Kim return with a gurney only a moment later, and the three of them do their best to maneuver the hybrid as carefully as they can. He needed a proper examination to determine what his injuries were and how critical his condition was, but first and foremost, he needed to be brought inside and away from the freezing temperatures. There would be no saving him if they couldn't get his body temperature regulated, and from the looks of things, it was obvious that time was of the essence. The hybrid doesn't argue, and Jisung's panicked features are the last thing he sees before everything goes black.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>"How's he looking?" Seungmin asks, peering in at Jisung from a crack in the door. Almost an hour had passed since bringing the hybrid inside, and some of the panic had started to wear off when his body temperature slowly began to stabilize.</p>
<p>"I don't know, Seungmin," Jisung replies. He motions for him to come inside, and hands over his clipboard with notes scrawled every which way. "He's got three broken ribs and some some nasty bruising on his lower back, along with some pretty deep scratches on his arms and legs. Do you think he was part of a fight ring?"</p>
<p>"Oh, fuck." Seungmin skims through the last of Jisung's notes and sets the clipboard down onto the counter before walking over to the hybrid. "I wouldn't doubt it. Would explain why he was left to die on the side of the road."</p>
<p>Hybrid fighting was illegal and could result in up to fifteen years of prison time if caught, but that didn't stop people from participating in underground "tournaments". A handful of their patients were the abandoned aftermath of lost fights, left alone to die because they were of no use if they couldn't hold their own in the ring.</p>
<p>"I'm gonna stay here until he wakes up. If anyone needs me, tell them not to." Jisung pulls a chair up to the side of the bed, keeping a rough four feet or so between himself and the hybrid, and gives Seungmin a small nod of approval. "You did good today, Min. I know you've only been here for about a month, but some of the things you see while on the job...well. I'm just glad you're still here. Being a nurse in this type of atmosphere isn't for everyone."</p>
<p>"Yeah, well," Seungmin replies, looking almost embarrassed at the sudden compliment. "I've got a fox hybrid at home. My dad and I rescued him from an abusive breeder almost five years ago. The day we found him, I swore not only to protect him, but to do everything in my power to give help to those who needed it. Despite the mental toll this place takes on you, I really do want to be here."</p>
<p>"I'm glad you feel that way because a lot of--wait, I think he's waking up."</p>
<p>"Do you want me to...?"</p>
<p>"Yes, and shut the door behind you. I don't want to overwhelm him."</p>
<p>Seungmin says nothing as he does what he's told, quickly and quietly making his way out of the room before shutting the door behind him. Jisung waits patiently for the hybrid to come to, and does his best not to startle him when he stands up from his chair.</p>
<p>"I thought you'd be out longer than that," Jisung says. "How are you feeling?"</p>
<p>"Like shit," the hybrid replies. His voice is raspy and his head feels woozy, and his entire body feels as if it were on fire. "What did you do to me?"</p>
<p>"Nothing beyond a physical examination."</p>
<p>"And?"</p>
<p>"You have three broken ribs and a lot of bruising on your back. Not to mention the cuts on your arms and legs. We can't really do much for your ribs and back, but we can clean the cuts to prevent infection."</p>
<p>"Why are you helping me?" The hybrid eyes Jisung with a wary look, still unsure as to whether he could be trusted or not. "I've never met a human who's intention wasn't to make me suffer."</p>
<p>Jisung does his best to keep a straight face, and clears his throat to rid himself of the emotion beginning to well up in his chest. "Not every human is like that. The majority of us see you as companions, valuing your friendship and company as though we would a human's. We're not all out to hurt you."</p>
<p>The hybrid remains silent for a moment, and winces slightly when he breathes in too deep. "What am I supposed to do now?"</p>
<p>"Just let us do our job," Jisung replies gently. "We'll have you back to your normal self in no time."</p>
<p>"And after that? What then? Are you gonna throw me away once I'm better?"</p>
<p>"Of course not. We're not only a hybrid health clinic. We also double as a shelter and wellness center. You're free to stay here for as long as you'd like, no strings attached."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I'm sure," the hybrid mumbles. "That doesn't sound too good to be true at all. What am I supposed to call you, anyway?"</p>
<p>"Jisung. What about you? Do you have a name?"</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>Jisung thinks for a minute, and hesitates for only a moment before speaking. "What about Minho? It means brightness and goodness."</p>
<p>"Do I look like a ball of sunshine to you?"</p>
<p>"No, but you do look like someone that's been through a lot. Brightness and goodness are two things you could probably use right about now."</p>
<p>"Yeah, okay," the hybrid says after taking a second to ponder it. "I like the sound of that. Call me Minho."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Minho never expected his most frequent visitor to be another hybrid. A wolf hybrid, at that. As far as he knew, wolves and other higher predatory hybrids never associated with the predators on the lower end of the chain.</p>
<p>"Can I come in? I brought breakfast." Chan cracks the door open ever so slightly, making sure not to step over the threshold without permission. "Woojin made sausage and egg sandwiches."</p>
<p>"Yeah. Come in."</p>
<p>Wolf hybrids were expensive and hard to come by, and most people adopted them as a way to show their power and status. It wasn't often you found one as kind and level headed as Chan, and the fact that he was always going out of his way to help was a mystery to Minho. Every wolf he'd ever come across would have drop kicked him for even just looking at them.</p>
<p>"How do you like your new room?" Chan asks. He sets the tray of food onto Minho's nightstand and takes a step back, his tail wagging happily behind him as Minho eyes the contents of his plate. "We don't normally move patients from the hospital until they're fully recovered, but Jisung said it should be fine as long as you're mindful of your injuries."</p>
<p>"Not like it matters either way," Minho replies. He grabs a sandwich from his plate and inhales its' delicious aroma before taking a bite. Food had never been a constant in his life before this, and Minho always had to tell himself not to stuff his face whenever Chan brought him something new. "Whether I'm here or in the hospital, I can't really do much with my ribs all fucked up like they are."</p>
<p>"True, but at least you can leave if you're in a dormitory. Do that in the hospital and suddenly you've got six nurses yelling at you."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I guess." Minho polishes off his first sandwich before moving onto the next. He really liked sandwiches and would have to let Woojin know that he wouldn't mind getting more of them throughout the day. "Is Jisung here yet?"</p>
<p>"He'll be here in about an hour," Chan smiles. As much as Minho wanted to be seen as "rough and tough", it was obvious that he had a huge soft spot for Jisung. Minho didn't perceive humans as trustworthy, but seemed to be more than willing to let that slide for the nurse that saved him. "Let's go for a walk, yeah? It'd be good for you to stretch your legs. We can go to the kitchen to return your dishes."</p>
<p>Minho gets up from his spot on the bed and grabs his tray, following Chan out into the hallway as he leads the way to the kitchen. "I still don't understand why everyone is so nice to me. You especially. Every wolf I've met wouldn't be caught dead associating with a cat."</p>
<p>"That's because every wolf you've met probably belonged to some pompous, rich asshole who made bank after inheriting their daddy's money," Chan scoffs. "I hate hybrids like that. I met a buck a few years ago that thought he was better than everybody just because of his antlers. He was out there living his best life until he managed to fuck over the wrong person. Slept with and took advantage of a doe who told everybody that his antlers were fake. He lost them prematurely due to some trauma and didn't want to lose his 'badass persona' because of it. What a chump."</p>
<p>"Everyone's got skeletons," Minho agrees with a sigh. "How'd you end up with Woojin? Seems kind of odd for a small town clinic doctor to somehow end up with a wolf."</p>
<p>"It's weird, right?" Chan laughs. Minho wasn't the first person to question that, and he certainly wouldn't be the last. "Believe it or not, we actually found each other through an illegal hybrid auction. His dad's a police officer and they ended up using Woojin as their mole. It's kind of a blur and I don't really remember much of it because we were all heavily sedated, but Woojin was the first person I saw when I finally came to. He took care of me and gave me the option to leave, but at that point I had become so attached that I didn't want to."</p>
<p>Minho couldn't even <em>begin</em> to fathom forming any sort of attachment to a human. It was almost like being someone's pet, and there was no way he'd allow himself to do that. Not when he had just gotten his freedom back.</p>
<p>"Back so soon, pup?" Woojin looks up from his food prep and sets his knife down onto the cutting board at the sight of Chan and Minho. "Been a few days since I've seen you out and about, Minho. How ya feeling?"</p>
<p>"Hey, Dr. Kim." Minho doesn't smile as he gives a small wave in Woojin's direction. "I'm still pretty sore, but it's fine. Not like I haven't dealt with worse."</p>
<p>"He's definitely a trooper," Chan chimes in. He walks over to Woojin and wags his tail in anticipation, practically melting into Woojin's touch when he scratches behind his ear. "Anything interesting on the agenda today?"</p>
<p>"No, but could you do me a favor?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, what's up?"</p>
<p>"Check the garden for me, yeah? There are some tomatoes that are ready to be picked, and I think I saw some new growth on the jalapeno plant yesterday. Just water everything and bring in what's ripe."</p>
<p>Chan nods and wags his tail excitedly. He loved being able to help out, and the garden was one of his absolute favorite places to be. One of the nurses had suggested it after business began to boom, and it really helped when it came to cutting down on food costs.</p>
<p>"Thanks pup. You're the best."</p>
<p>Minho can't help but feel somewhat disgusted at the use of Woojin's nickname, and feels no shame in saying so. "Isn't that degrading? You're a wolf. When I think of a pup, the first thing that comes to my mind is a wobbly little potato."</p>
<p>"To some, yeah, I'm sure it would be degrading," Chan agrees. He holds the door to the garden open for Minho and motions toward the tomatoes. "Woojin doesn't mean it that way, though. I wouldn't be mad if he did, but it's not like that. He has other names for me when he wants it to come across that way."</p>
<p>"Wait, are you two...?" Minho's eyes go wide as realization suddenly clicks. "You're not in a relationship, are you?"</p>
<p>"That's kind of a hard question because I could answer it as both yes and no. Can you hand me the basket over by the water hose?"</p>
<p>Minho does as Chan asks and hands the basket over, his mind swirling with more questions than he knew what to do with.</p>
<p>"Thanks." Chan begins picking tomatoes from the vine and nods toward the jalapeno plant Woojin had mentioned earlier. "You can pick those if you want. Just the big ones. The smaller ones need a little more time to grow."</p>
<p>Chan doesn't offer anymore information on his relationship with Woojin, and Minho knows better than to ask. People sometimes used hybrids as playthings, sexual and otherwise, but he had never heard of anyone actually being <em>in a relationship</em> with one. Life at the clinic was starting to get weirder the longer he stayed.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>The next few days passed by uneventfully, Minho's daily routine not straying much from his first day out of the hospital wing. Each day would start with breakfast, a walk to the garden with Chan, and then just following Jisung around as he went about his business. Minho wasn't the type to be very social, so spending time with Chan and Jisung got him talking to other patients and nurses that he otherwise would just avoid.</p>
<p>"Are you gonna be okay tomorrow?" Jisung asks as he walks Minho back to his room for the night.</p>
<p>"What's tomorrow?"</p>
<p>"I'm off tomorrow."</p>
<p>A small "oh" is all Minho could think to muster up. It made sense, seeing as Jisung went back to his apartment every night at the end of his shift, but the fact that he would have to have a day or two off of work never even crossed Minho's mind.</p>
<p>"Are you gonna be okay by yourself?"</p>
<p>Minho shrugs, not really sure what to say. He didn't want to come off as weak and needy, but he sure as hell wasn't ready to be alone yet. Being by himself at night was hard enough as it was, and he wasn't really sure what he would do with himself if he didn't have Jisung for the latter part of his day.</p>
<p>"This is gonna sound crazy, and you absolutely do not have to say yes, but would you maybe want to come home with me tonight?" Jisung leans against the door frame to Minho's room, a slight blush beginning to rise up his neck and into his cheeks as he speaks. "It wouldn't be permanent, seeing as you're still technically a patient here until your injuries fully heal, but there are some release forms that we--"</p>
<p>"Yes." Minho doesn't need to hear the rest to know that he very much wants to be wherever Jisung is. "I mean...I just don't think I can handle being on my own yet. The time between you leaving and Chan showing up the next morning is agonizing."</p>
<p>"You don't have to explain yourself," Jisung replies, giving Minho a small but reassuring smile. "Grab whatever you need to get you by until Wednesday. I'll get the release forms from Seungmin."</p>
<p>Minho watches as Jisung walks down the hall and around the corner, and heads over to his closet in search of some sort of bag he could for storage. Everything he owned was supplied by the clinic upon his arrival, and funnily enough, a backpack wasn't something he had been given.</p>
<p>"Knock knock." Chan raps his knuckles on Minho's door frame before stepping inside and tossing a bag at Minho. "I saw Jisung signing the release papers and figured you could use this."</p>
<p>"I was just thinking about how a backpack would come in handy, too." Minho takes the bag and offers Chan a quick fist bump before shoving a few pairs of clothing inside of the bigger part of the pouch. "Thanks, man."</p>
<p>"Yeah, anytime." Chan reains sient until Minho's bag is packed, and finally asks the question he'd been dying to get out. "I thought you weren't gonna allow yourself to get attached to a human?"</p>
<p>"What?" The question takes Minho by surprise, and his tail twitches in annoyance at the sudden accusation. "Who said anything about getting attached?"</p>
<p>"You're staying the night at his house, Minho."</p>
<p>"Yeah, well," Minho mumbles. "If you knew what I've been through, you wouldn't wanna be alone either."</p>
<p>"Oh, trust me, I know. I probably know that better than any other hybrid here."</p>
<p>Minho suddenly recalls the conversation they had on his first day out of the hospital wing, and immediately regrets saying anything. "Chan, I--"</p>
<p>"Don't worry about it. I have to go find Woojin, but I'll see you Wednesday."</p>
<p>And just like that, Chan was gone.</p>
<p>"I'm not getting attached," Minho says aloud to no one but himself. "I just don't want to be alone is all."</p>
<p>Minho kept telling himself that that's all it was, but if that were the truth, then...why did voicing it out loud make it sound like a lie?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jisung's apartment was vastly different than what Minho had imagined. The walls were a pastel gray color with turquoise siding on a select few that made for a nice pop of color, and there were plants <em>everywhere</em>. Succulents and cacti were placed sporadically throughout the living room, and deep green ivy lined two of the walls, growing upwards from a plant in the corner. The furniture was sparse, but the beautiful decor more than made up for Jisung's lack of stuff.</p><p>"Why does your house remind me of something you'd find in an IKEA showroom?" Minho does a full circle as he takes in the entirety of the living room, and finds himself wondering if the rest of the apartment was as nicely decorated.</p><p>"Probably because I got most of it from IKEA." Jisung hangs his keys on a hook he kept beside the door, and motions for Minho to follow him. "This is the living room and over there is the kitchen. Right down here is the bathroom, and my room is at the end of the hall. You can put your stuff in here if you want." He opens the door to his bedroom, revealing a queen sized bed, a messy computer desk, and a dresser that matched the bed frame. It was small and nowhere near as immaculately decorated as the living room, but it was nice regardless.</p><p>Minho walks over to the desk and sets his bag down onto the chair, not really sure what to do with himself in this strange new environment. He enjoyed spending time with Jisung, but being outside of the clinic made things feel a little more...personal, and he had no idea how he was supposed to deal with that.</p><p>"Are you hungry at all?"</p><p>"Yeah, a little," Minho replies, his stomach growling as if on command. "Or a lot."</p><p>Jisung can't help but laugh, and Minho feels some of his earlier tension dissolving at the sound. "Seungmin sent me home with some fried rice yesterday, and I think I have a chicken breast or two in the freezer. Is that okay? Do you like chicken fried rice?"</p><p>"I don't know. I've never had it."</p><p>"Right." Jisung knew next to nothing about Minho's past, and was finding it harder and harder to keep a straight face as little bits of information were revealed. "You've never cooked before, have you?"</p><p>"Never."</p><p>"Do you want to? You can help if you want."</p><p>Minho's tail twitches nervously at the thought of potentially ruining their dinner. He'd never even so much as held a knife before, let alone cook an entire meal.</p><p>"I think I'll pass," he says apologetically. "I feel like I'd just be in the way more than anything."</p><p>"That's fine," Jisung reassures. "Just making sure."</p><p>"Can I watch, though?"</p><p>"Of course! I'll show you how to turn leftovers into something fancy."</p><p>*</p><p>Minho had eaten a variety of different food since arriving at the clinic, but Jisung's chicken fried rice was by far his favorite.</p><p>"Hands down, that was the best meal I've ever eaten." Minho gives a happy little sigh as he slides his plate away from him and leans back in his chair. "I don't know how you managed to do that with just some leftover rice and chicken."</p><p>"Honestly? It's probably just the fish sauce. Fish sauce makes everything taste good." Jisung was nervous about opening his home to Minho, mainly because he wasn't sure how he would react or if it would be awkward, but this was the most animated Jisung had seen him since the day they met. Food was definitely the key to Minho's heart, and it was good to see him livening up a little after being so shy and anxious back at the clinic. "Do you maybe wanna shower while I take care of the dishes?"</p><p>"Yeah...okay." Trying to figure out how the shower at the clinic worked was a pain in the ass, and Minho had to admit that he was a little nervous to be starting from scratch again. "Where do I put my clothing afterwards?"</p><p>"There's a hamper in the cabinet by the door. Just shove 'em in there. We'll do laundry tomorrow so they're clean when you go back."</p><p>Jisung watches Minho disappear down the hall and begins to clear the table. He rinses the dishes and places them into the dishwasher, and is in the middle of putting food into a tupperware when he hears Minho call his name from the bathroom.</p><p>"Hey...um, Jisung?"</p><p>"Yeah? What's wrong?"</p><p>"I might need a little bit of help."</p><p>Minho doesn't elaborate, so Jisung abandons his task and quickly walks from the kitchen to the bathroom, knocking twice on the door before cracking it open just the tiniest bit. "Are you okay?"</p><p>"This is so humiliating," Minho mumbles. "Your shower head isn't detachable like the one at the clinic. I can't move my arms backwards because of the pressure it puts on my ribs, and I...um...I can't get the soap off of my back."</p><p>"<em>Fuck</em>," Jisung swears. He knew that Minho's ribs were still on the mend, but he hadn't thought about how that would affect the way he did things. "Uh, how comfortable are you with me on a scale of one to ten? Because I think what you're asking me to do requires at least a high seven."</p><p>"I don't know, like a five? Either way, I need your help."</p><p>A five was much higher than Jisung had expected, and he gives himself a mental high five for making so much progress in such a short amount of time. "What side of the shower are you on? You know, so I can stay on your...not as exposed side."</p><p>"The side with the shower head, but I'm facing the shampoo bottles."</p><p>"Alright. I'm coming in." Jisung steps into the bathroom and has to remind himself that he is a nurse, and that he does this kind of thing for patients all the time. "If you can't reach your back, how did you manage to get it soapy in the first place?"</p><p>"The runoff from my hair and ears," Minho replies, sounding embarrassed. "It's a lot easier to take care of when the shower head comes off."</p><p>"Yeah...sorry about that. It never even crossed my mind, to be honest. I'm gonna pull the shower curtain back now, okay?"</p><p>"...okay."</p><p>Jisung slides the shower curtain as far right as he can without getting water all over the floor, and makes a <em>tsk tsk</em> sound with his mouth upon seeing how much soap was still trapped in Minho's light brown fur. "How much soap do you use? Your hair isn't even that long."</p><p>"More than I normally would because I'm fucking broken," Minho growls. "How else am I supposed to clean back there if I can't reach?"</p><p>"I was just asking. No need to get angry." Jisung rolls his sleeves up to his elbows and begins lathering more soap into Minho's back. "Why haven't you asked for help at the clinic? You know one of us would come in every night."</p><p>"Because it's humiliating and I'm pretty sure nobody wants to make seeing me naked a part of their daily routine."</p><p>Jisung doesn't say anything as he gently washes the soap from Minho's back, cupping the water in his hands and running his fingers downward to make sure he got everything. Apparently, being relaxed was something that didn't last very long, although Jisung should have expected that. It wasn't uncommon for cat hybrids to have bad attitudes. It was just part of who they were.</p><p>"Is the soap finally gone?"</p><p>"Yeah," Jisung says, pulling away from Minho as he grabs a hand towel from the wall. "Take your time getting out. I have a few more things to take care of from dinner, so I'll just meet you in my bedroom."</p><p>"Okay...thanks for helping me, Jisung."</p><p>*</p><p>Jisung is watching a movie on his laptop when a small knock on the door made him jump. He and Minho had said goodnight almost an hour ago, Jisung leaving Minho to sleep on the futon in the living room. He sits up in bed and turns his bedside light on before uttering a sleepy "come in."</p><p>"Hi," Minho says nervously as he slowly opens the door. "Did I wake you up?"</p><p>"No," Jisung replies, pointing to his laptop. "I was watching Rise Of The Guardians. Are you okay?"</p><p>"I can't sleep."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Do you wanna sleep in here?"</p><p>Minho scratches behind his ear for a moment before giving a small nod. "Please?"</p><p>Jisung shuts his laptop and sets it on his bedside table before shuffling himself over to the side of the bed. "I know it must be hard, being in a new environment and all. I have trouble sleeping away from home, too."</p><p>"Being here isn't what bothers me. It's the being by myself part." Minho looks at Jisung for permission before getting into the opposite side of the bed. "...thanks. You didn't have to let me come over tonight, and you really don't have to do this for me."</p><p>"I know that, and I'm not doing it because I have to. I'm doing it because I want to." Jisung waits for Minho to find a comfortable position, and turns the light out before rolling over to face him. "Your well being means a lot to me, Minho. I really do enjoy spending time with you, but moreover, I just want you to know that you're safe with me. I don't mind having you here if it means keeping you in a good head space."</p><p>Minho doesn't say anything, his only response being to gently wrap his tail around Jisung's leg. If you had told him a week ago that he'd be voluntarily sharing a bed with a human, he would have laughed himself into next week. It was crazy how quickly things could change, and Minho was grateful that Jisung didn't let him die that day.</p><p>"Goodnight, Minho."</p><p>"Yeah. Goodnight...Jisung."</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>